Welcome, one and all, to the final Fiesta of 2017! It's quiet around here, but I'll put out some sandwiches (tuna, egg, ham, chicken salad, and others) and some hot chowders (clam, fish, corn and potato, even chicken veggie) for those trying to shake off the chill.

I awoke to a clear but frosty 6 F(-15 C) this morning - how sparkly the stars were, when I walked under the trees to the mailbox to retrieve the newspaper in the pre-dawn hour! The winter air is so crisp and clean.

So what are your plans for this weekend? Tell us how you're going to ring in the New Year! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have no plans apart from continuing to play nursemaid to Mr Midge. He is healing up pretty well, but a nasty bite on his side is needing a bit of extra care. We have been out for a couple of little walks. He is keen as mustard, which helps me. I must admit I am hyper-vigilant at this stage, but hopefully that will fade. All going well, the stitches on his face will come out in the middle of next week. We are both pretty tired of the dreaded cone...

The Mr and I managed to find almost the only place in New Zealand where it rained over Christmas :) We still had a lovely time in the mountains, though, walking among beech forest and along lakes and streams. We got wet, but that didn't matter.

Home again, and back to sunshine (though by the forecast that won't last). It'll be a quiet New Year for us, nibbling on goodies and watching DVDs.

is that a word? Anyway, I've been packing away ornaments and the Christmas dishes. Tree still up with lights; we'll leave that up for a while along with the outside lights - it's so dark at our latitude in winter that I think the holiday lights should stay up until Valentine's Day at least! Also washing the sheets from the guest beds, although we're not quite done with company - my niece is skiing with her dad's family today & will be visiting friends in the town she grew up in north of here, but back on Tuesday for one last evening with her auntie & grandpa before flying back to NYC Wednesday.

I told my niece & nephews this holiday "remember all those trips I took you on when you were little? Well, you have 4 years to come up with the trip you are going to take ME on when I turn 70!" They've jumped enthusiastically on this, floating ideas like hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier (a 10-day trip!), trekking across western Scotland, renting a camper van and touring Iceland . . . you can see that they understand that I have no interest in urban getaways OR hot places! I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around Ö The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.

Tell them yes, you'll do all of those! What's the Wonderland Trail like (steep, moderate, lots of vistas)?

I like having the lights from our small tree on all the time, it's so nice to come downstairs to on dark mornings. I realize that the decorations are "traditionally" to be taken down 12 days after Christmas, maybe we should all start the trend of leaving them up until there's a decent amount of daylight once again! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I haven't experienced that since I lived in Scotland. That crunchy sensation when the hairs in your nose get frosty... yuk! Leftover sandwiches here too this evening - brie and walnut for me. The cheese needs using up before it stinks out the fridge! Next big thing is a family trip to see a 'Peter Pan' panto at a nearby theatre on New Year's Eve; it will be interesting to see what the grandsons make of it. As long as they are not seized with a burning urge to fly and try launching off the top of the stairs afterwards, we'll be okay! It might take their minds off Lego and Pokemon for a while... happy weekend, folks, whatever you end up doing!

Itís extremely rare for the temperature to dip below -5C at this time of year in these parts. I like the crisp, dry air too, but it almost hurts to breath! Staying inside as much as possible. Happy new year everybody!

often 3,000 feet a day as you are basically going around the mountain which is like a big stump with a lot of roots radiating out (ridges, that is). But you can't beat the views! I've done portions but not the whole enchilada.

My plan is that the younger folks will carry most of the gear

https://www.nps.gov/...wonderland-trail.htmI am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around Ö The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.

Reminds me of Tolkien's map of The Lonely Mountain. There are four lights.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Discuss Tolkien's life and works in the Reading Room! +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= How to find old Reading Room discussions.

High tea whilst looking at Mt. Doom? Hm, maybe there ARE hobbits around there!

I can imagine you trying to hide a huge grin when you realized the locals were reading your works! Tolkien was nervous about sending his stories out into the wide world; it's a dangerous business, letting your books go out of your door: They step into the Road...and there is no knowing where they might be swept off to. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roads go ever ever on Under cloud and under star Yet feet that wandering have gone Turn at last to home afar. Eyes that fire and sword have seen And horror in the halls of stone Look at last on meadows green And trees and hills they long have known.

My books are in quite a few NZ libraries (and rather more US ones), but it's still a special frisson when I see them on a library shelf. It's nice to think of their being chosen and going through the whole acquisitions process. I worked in a library for a while (in IT, not library science), and I have a lot of respect for librarians. The Passing of Mistress RoseMy historical novels

Do we find happiness so often that we should turn it off the box when it happens to sit there?

... and yes, in deep winter, say mid-February, temps occasionally dip that low, but itís unusual for December. In fact, we had a few days above 0C just before Christmas. There are a fair number of green Christmases in my rememberies, though aesthetically I prefer there to be some snow about.

A panto is usually based on an old traditional tale, Puss in Boots, Robin Hood, Aladdin, Cinderella etc, sometimes given a modern/topical twist with music, songs, jokes and so forth. Standard ingredients are an overdrawn, hissable booable baddie, an even more overdrawn, outrageously clad Dame (invariably played by a man) and in the more traditional ones, a male romantic lead played by a woman. Slapstick humour by a comic duo/trio is essential e.g. disastrous baking/decorating scene with a lot of mess, as is audience participation. Children - and indeed grown-ups - are expected to yell, boo, hiss, cheer etc. For example: Dame: 'I can't see the wicked baron anywhere. Can you see him, children?' Children in audience: He's behind you! Baron hides, Dame turns. Dame: Oh no he isn't! Baron pops out again. Children: (louder) Oh yes he is! etc... Good family fun, when you can let your hair down and yell at the performance! Unlike an ordinary play, where such behaviour would probably have you ejected from the theatre. Here's a link: https://www.floralpavilion.com/en-GB/shows/peter%20pan/events/2

or isolated, as it's one of a mountain chain . . . but it does dominate the skyline

http://m2.i.pbase.com/...tandardemailview.jpgI am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around Ö The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.

It's too bad we've tended away from that over here, we could use more fun interactive shows. So this explains Sir Ian in an outrageous dress, and Adam looking like the tooth fairy! What a blast for the actors, as well! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm so glad he's doing so well. I'll bet he's latched onto you like the lifeline you are! Bless his fuzzy heart.

Are you having to bathe the wounds with a peroxide/water mix? I had a cat that was horribly mauled by a dog, and her wound was extensive on the whole back left leg... from tail to toe her muscles were exposed. The vet had us clean her wound with the peroxide/water mix several times a day, and it was amazing to watch her slowly heal. She could... like Mr Midge... soon walk! I think that getting them up and around speeds up the healing faster... as it does with us muggles ;)